# The Spirit

**URL:** https://discourse.rpgclassics.com/t/the-spirit/21800
**Category:** Media Forum
**Created:** [January 12, 2010, 4:16pm UTC](https://discourse.rpgclassics.com/t/the-spirit/21800 "2010-01-12T16:16:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Genericangstyposter](https://discourse-cdn.rpgclassics.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@Genericangstyposter](https://discourse.rpgclassics.com/u/Genericangstyposter)
#### Post date: [January 12, 2010, 4:16pm UTC](https://discourse.rpgclassics.com/t/the-spirit/21800/1 "2010-01-12T16:16:04Z")

</div>

Okay, so I read volume one (comics from 06/02/40-12/29/40) and I have to say I’m not that impressed. Everybody was telling me what a revolutionary series this is, but I’m just not seeing it. It seems to me like a typical adventure comic, with a complete dick as a main character with racist, sexist, and sometimes with heavy propaganda undertones.

I just have to ask: does it get better? It seems that all The Spirit is about is some guy going around and beating up criminals with his paint-by-the-numbers stereotype sidekick (Ebony Ivory? Really?) acting all cowardly and saying things like “massa.” Maybe I’m being overly critical, but I’m judging this on a higher critereon than I normally would because I heard it was such an awesome series and that I absolutely had to read it.

Oh: he also habitually spanks and beats up his love interest (who he denies loving despite getting her interested by kissing her in front of her fiance… what a dick).

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Wilfredo\_Martinez](https://discourse-cdn.rpgclassics.com/user_avatar/discourse.rpgclassics.com/wilfredo_martinez/32/46_2.png) [@Wilfredo\_Martinez](https://discourse.rpgclassics.com/u/Wilfredo_Martinez)
#### Post date: [January 12, 2010, 6:04pm UTC](https://discourse.rpgclassics.com/t/the-spirit/21800/2 "2010-01-12T18:04:08Z")

</div>

Huh, YOU decided to read The Spirit, GAP? I’m surprised. I certainly wouldn’t have recommended it to you, precisely for those reasons.

DO NOT check the movie by the same name, it came out even sillier.

I think the real reason why people worship The Spirit is because of its creator,Will Eisner , who was a popular writer/artist in his time, and (possibly) invented the Graphic Novel with his more down to Earth “A Contract with God”. I never found Spirit interesting, tho.

For a comic I think you’ll enjoy, try Action Philosophers!, which describes the lives and beliefs of actual philosophers… using really funny cartoons. 😉

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action\_Philosophers](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_Philosophers)!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Genericangstyposter](https://discourse-cdn.rpgclassics.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@Genericangstyposter](https://discourse.rpgclassics.com/u/Genericangstyposter)
#### Post date: [January 12, 2010, 6:23pm UTC](https://discourse.rpgclassics.com/t/the-spirit/21800/3 "2010-01-12T18:23:37Z")

</div>

I love Action Philosophers, Wil. It’s pretty cool! I’ve read every single one of them.

But anyway, I was trying to get to the roots of comics and see what I liked. So far I’ve read some of the old Disney comics by Carl Barks (which are really aweseome!) and some vintage Batman. Before I started doing this, I hadn’t read stuff from before the 80s. And it’s not western, but Lone Wolf and Cub was one of the older influences I checked out and absolutely adored. I was just kind of floored when I saw the Spirit actually physically spanking a woman because she wanted to go to a college dance with him. o.O

And I know: stuff like old DC and Marvel comics can get pretty cheesy, too. I know. I’ve read Stan Lee’s really early stuff (whoo boy o.O). But I learn to take that in stride because I expect it. Everyone just kept telling me how awesome and groundbreaking the Spirit is and I guess I just want to understand why that is.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Rigmarole](https://discourse-cdn.rpgclassics.com/user_avatar/discourse.rpgclassics.com/rigmarole/32/108_2.png) [@Rigmarole](https://discourse.rpgclassics.com/u/Rigmarole)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2010, 2:09am UTC](https://discourse.rpgclassics.com/t/the-spirit/21800/4 "2010-01-13T02:09:48Z")

</div>

Try comparing it to the stuff that was coming out at the time. Sometimes groundbreakers don’t stand well the test of time.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Cidolfas](https://discourse-cdn.rpgclassics.com/user_avatar/discourse.rpgclassics.com/cidolfas/32/9_2.png) [@Cidolfas](https://discourse.rpgclassics.com/u/Cidolfas)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2010, 5:57am UTC](https://discourse.rpgclassics.com/t/the-spirit/21800/5 "2010-01-13T05:57:36Z")

</div>

I quite liked the movie because it was so silly. At least it didn’t really pretend otherwise.
